We are thrilled to celebrate Johanna Hainana, our Grants Officer, who embarked on a transformative journey as part of the prestigious Charles R. Wall Conservation Leadership and Management Fellowship.
Johanna shares that being selected for this fellowship is both “humbling and exciting.” It provides her with a unique platform to collaborate with other conservation professionals across Africa, enhancing her skills and contributing to the future of conservation in Namibia. This opportunity allows her to not only learn from others but also share her expertise in managing conservation projects.
Motivated by her deep commitment to advancing conservation efforts in Namibia, Johanna saw the fellowship as an ideal combination of leadership development and practical conservation strategies. She aims to strengthen her leadership capacity and bring back innovative solutions that will support grassroots conservation initiatives in Namibia, directly contributing to the work we do at the Environmental Investment Fund. In her role as Grants Officer, Johanna is eager to apply the leadership and management skills gained from this fellowship to enhance the efficiency of project implementation and ensure long-term sustainability for communities across Namibia.
Johanna is particularly passionate about addressing the challenges faced by Namibia's Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) program. Through the fellowship, she aims to explore strategies that have been successful in other countries and strengthen Namibia's CBNRM framework, making it more resilient and sustainable.
She was especially impressed by Kenya's innovative conservation models, such as their national park in the heart of Nairobi and various carbon market programs that integrate conservation efforts. These hands-on learning experiences have been invaluable and serve as an inspiration for Namibia's conservation journey. As a leader, Johanna believes in adaptability, inclusiveness, and vision, which she sees as essential qualities for driving systemic change in conservation and environmental sustainability.
Her message to fellow professionals at the Environmental Investment Fund is clear: embrace every opportunity to grow and expand your horizons. Fellowships like this offer an incredible platform to learn, gain new perspectives, and make a lasting impact on conservation efforts.
AWF’s Conservation Leadership and Management Fellowship (CLMF) is a nine-month intensive leadership program for young African professionals in the conservation sector. With a key focus on self-leadership, team leadership, and organisational leadership, the fellowship brings together young African professionals from businesses, NGOs, the public sector, and community-based entities that are leading environmental action. CLMF imparts fellows with transformational leadership and management skills needed to effect systemic impact on environmental issues.
